That's Life
by Ruby In The Sky
Summary: James Potter and Morgan Chambers may have not defeated the Dark Lord or saved the Wizard race, but who's to say that their lives together aren't as great as their parents' lives? They may not be as famous, but that's life for you! A Next-Generation fanfic
1. Stupid Love Notes

**Disclaimer: All things in the Harry Potter Universe belong to J.K. Rowling. Morgan and Ingrid are characters of my own creation, but everything else in my fanfic are not my idea. I wish I could say that I created this world, but I would be lying.**

* * *

_Dear James Potter,_

_You haven't ever spoken to me in your entire life. I don't even think you've ever looked at me before. However, that isn't stopping me from writing to you. This may sound a little odd, but at one point in my life, I was completely and unconditionally in love with you._

_It began in my 3__rd__ year, you in your 4__th__. I saw you in the Gryffindor Common Room, and we had just won a Quidditchmatch. You looked so happy, grinning and laughing with your teammates. I was in the armchair in the corner, watching the festivities but not participating. When I saw you then, I felt a pang in my stomach and wished that I could be the one who made you look so happy._

_What may have started out as a small feeling developed into a full-blown obsession. I watched you all the time: in between classes, at mealtimes, in the common room, even at Quidditch practice sometimes (my friend is on the Quidditch team with you, so I used her as an excuse to see you.) For two years, my life consisted of watching you._

_At the end of the year, I expected the summer to be agonizing, because my previous summer was horrible. That summer, I sat in my room agonizing about how horrible my life was and spending my time fantasizing about us when we would get together. This summer, though, I didn't feel the pain that I did last year. Instead, I found myself feeling free, like I had been pressed down on those past two years but that weight on me was now gone. It was a great feeling, though I still to this day don't know what caused it. Anyway, after I got home, I hardly thought about you. Okay, that sounds a little harsh. But it's true! I lived my life the way I should have been living it. I learned more about myself that summer than I ever had. Who knew that I would love King Arthur myths, Jane Austen books, the Beatles, or jewelry making?_

_Then I came back to school and saw you. Of course, you were your same dashing self. I tried to prepare myself for seeing you, make myself immune to you somehow, but I saw you smile in the Common Room and my heart melted. However, the obsession that I had had for the past two years didn't come back. In its place was another feeling, the feeling that I had had when I first noticed you: attraction. I 'm guessing that this is how normal people feel when they really like someone. It's a healthy feeling._

_I may not be in love with you anymore, but I do still have a crush on you, which is why I'm writing this letter. I hope that I haven't scared you off by telling you all about my obsession; I tend to babble when I'm nervous._

_You might be asking why, then, I am writing this letter? Well, because now that I have dropped my obsession, I feel I am now able to talk to you. James Potter, here is my question: are you willing to meet me and hear me out? Are you curious at all to know who I am? If you are, I will be at the big oak tree on the south side of the Quidditch Pitch from 11 to midnight with a red rose. _

_I would ask you not to send someone to screw around with me, but I know that you wouldn't do that. You're too nice of a person to mess around like that._

_I hope to see you soon,_

_An Admirer _

_P.S. Maybe I should mention that this is not a joke. My letter to you is one-hundred percent genuine. And I'm not some little First Year with a smart friend who would write this letter for her. _

The Great Hall was filled with all sorts of people eating, talking, and enjoying the beautiful morning. Although I was most certainly in the Great Hall and was trying to eat, I was _definitely_ not enjoying the morning.

Why did I send that letter? Why? Am I some kind of mental patient?

James was going to laugh, I knew it. He would open up my stupid letter and laugh at it. I probably would do the same if someone sent me a letter like that.

"Hello? Morgan? Is anyone home?" My best friend Ingrid pulled me out of my train of thought. It took me a few seconds for me to realize that she had been unsuccessfully trying to have a conversation with me for a minute straight.

"Oh, sorry! I was just … um …" I didn't want to say outright that I was staring at and thinking about James, because I had told her that I was over my obsession.

She figured it out anyway. "Gazing at your beloved?" Ingrid quipped.

"No, I was just … thinking. About something."

"About _someone_?" Ingrid always had a way of knowing what I was thinking about. "Morgan, I thought you quit James cold turkey."

"I did! And I was completely fine over the summer, but … well … some of my old feelings came back when I saw him again."

"Morgan, I thought you had your freaky obsession under control! You told me you didn't love him anymore!"

She seemed really angry, which was what I was expecting. Ingrid always made things worse than they actually were. I explained, "I don't _love_ him, not really. I guess I've kind of grown to just having a crush on him."

"What do you mean you've 'grown' to having a crush on him?"

Sighing, I replied, "My obsession has downgraded to just a crush. I don't know, Ing, it's just not the same. I don't want to marry him anymore; I want to date him."

Suddenly, a look of understanding washed over Ingrid's face, followed by a sigh of relief. "Thank God!" Ingrid exclaimed, "I was really starting to worry about you! Obsessing about a boy like that isn't healthy at all."

"Yeah … but, Ingrid, that's not all."

I'd only told her half of what I needed to. The second part was going to be a lot harder to say.

Ingrid had been in the process of eating some eggs when she stopped all movement. "Oh, no. What did you do?"

"I … well … I sent him a letter." My cheeks began to redden as I recounted just what the letter had said. I was so stupid!

"What kind of a letter?" Ingrid asked me cautiously.

" … A love one."

Ingrid then did something that I didn't expect at all: she laughed. She laughed like she had never heard anything that funny before; her eyes were producing tears, and a snort would come out of her mouth every few seconds. Speech was still difficult because of the heavy laughing, but I heard the words 'hilarious' 'you' and 'crazy' spoken.

Suddenly, I felt myself start to giggle, too. This situation had to have been the most unfunny thing that I had ever experienced, but I was laughing! "Yeah, I know it was stupid. I haven't even said the worst part. I told him my whole story about him (including the part where I watched him at Quidditch). Then, I asked him to meet me tonight at the oak tree!"

We both got dead silent for a second, then exploded in even louder laughter. As we rolled around in our chairs laughing our arses off, the Great Hall slowly grew quieter. However, our hysterical laughter continued until a voice finally shut us up.

"Morgan, can you please stop cackling like a hyena? Some of us are _trying_ to eat our breakfast."

It was Ava Wood, my lifelong archenemy. She was such a buzz kill.

"Then why don't you turn back around and do it? Actually, you know what, maybe you shouldn't. What's the point? It'll be thrown up in a few minutes, anyway, right?" I spit back at her. Ava was known just as much for her several bouts of eating disorders as she was for her bright red locks and evil nature.

"Bite me, Morgan," Ava hissed at me before turning back around to talk to her group of friends. I really hated her.

I only had a moment to gloat at my glorious comeback before Ingrid brought me back to my sad reality. "Morgan, I can't believe you! Why would you do something so stupid?"

_This_ was the response I expected from Ingrid. I replied, "I don't know, Ingrid. It all happened so fast. I was getting dressed this morning, and I had this wonderful vision of him and I sitting under a tree, just enjoying each other's presence. I can't even describe how wonderful it made me feel. The dream, it - it started something inside me. So, I sat down, wrote the letter, sent it away using a school owl. He should be getting it this morning."

Ingrid still looked stunned beyond belief, and I knew she couldn't believe how calm I seemed. "You are absolutely crazy, you know that? Crazy! Now everyone is going to know that you belong in the loony bin! People are going to think that _I _belong in the loony bin just by association!"

"Ing, calm down! Take a breath! I didn't tell him my name. I signed it as 'an admirer.'"

"Well, at least you did _that_," Ingrid replied sarcastically, "Do you realize what would have happened if word got out about this and people knew it was you?"

For the first time that whole morning, the thought of an eavesdropper passed through my mind. Looking around my table for anyone suspicious, I sighed as realized that no one else seemed to be listening in on our conversation. "Yeah, I know. That's why I didn't sign my name, Ingrid. I thought about the consequences."

Ingrid nodded and turned her body towards her plate, probably to collect her thoughts. Doing the same, I tried eating a bit of toast. However, before I could even put anything in my mouth, Ingrid whispered. "Morgan, look up."

I knew what she was talking about, but I still looked up anyway in hope that it was something different. It was exactly what I dreaded; coming through windows in the roof were hundreds of owls seeking out the receiver of whatever the owls were carrying.

My heart suddenly went into overdrive pounding as hard as it could, and my head began spinning wildly. Why did I have to be so foolish? I must have lost my mind -

My thumping heart and racing thoughts came to a sudden stop as I watched a small brown school owl fly over to James and drop a small letter onto his plate.

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	2. The Mystery Girl

_James Potter's POV_

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_This had to be a joke. It had to be. There was no way someone in a right state of mind would actually send a letter like this to me._

_It must have been one of the guys on the Slytherin team. Yeah, they were just trying to psych me out before the match. Of course! That had to have been it._

_This couldn't be real. No, it wasn't real. No way._

_It had to have been someone in Slytherin. Yeah, one of the gits on the team was doing this to me._

I brought my eyes up from the letter to scan the table on the other side of the Great Hall. Scorpius Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, the Keeper and the Seeker of the Slytherin team, seemed to be laughing about something, but that wasn't out of the ordinary; they were always snickering to themselves about something or another. Besides, they didn't seem to be looking over my way, and if anyone on the Slytherin team would have been responsible for this kind of prank, it would be those two. So I could rule out the Slytherin team.

_Maybe it was one of my own mates just trying to get a laugh. _My best friend, Steven Finnegan, lived for pulling pranks on me. However, he didn't have a romantic bone in his body, and wouldn't have been able to pull off something so mushy like this, so I figured it couldn't be him.

_Who, then? Who else would send me a fake letter?_

_Unless …_

_Maybe there actually was a weird girl out there who thought that by writing me some creepy love letter they would catch my attention. Maybe that girl actually thought that we would start dating because she 'once loved me.' What kind of girl actually thought like this? A psycho, that's who. A psycho girl wrote me this letter thinking that I would actually fall in love with them._

_Merlin, this girl was a nutcase. I can't believe someone would actually think that this would work._

_Hogwarts should be aware of the bizarre girls they let in. I bet there weren't as many nut jobs when Dad and Mum were here -_

My rambling thoughts came to an abrupt stop when I looked up from the letter and my eyes became fixed on the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

She was sitting at my table, the Gryffindor table, on the opposite end and side. The sunlight seemed to bounce off her hair, sending beams of light around the whole room; her eyes, though, absorbed every ounce of light in the room, causing them to sparkle like diamonds. Her skin, her beautiful skin, was the color of ivory, a shade so perfectly radiant that I couldn't stop looking at it.

This unknown girl had without her knowledge completely entranced me in a way that no other girl had done before. I'd had my share of girlfriends in the past, but this girl did something else to me that none of them had ever done. It was as if after I saw her, no one else existed.

Why hadn't I ever seen her before?

I really needed to find out who this girl was, so I decided to ask Steven. The boy genius knew almost everything there was to know about Hogwarts, including the people in it, so he was bound to know who my mystery girl was. Pointing discreetly at the girl, I muttered, "Hey, do you know who that is?"

Steven looked up for a millisecond at the perfect girl, then went back to reading his book. "I'm not sure. I think she's a Fifth Year or something. Why?"

"I don't know, I was just wondering. I guess she's kind of hot," I said, trying hard to conceal how in awe I still was.

My response must have caused Steven to give his opinion more thought, because he put his book down and seriously stared at her for several seconds. While he was gazing down the table at her, she looked up as well and, noticing we were both looking at her, blushed furiously and looked down.

"Yeah, she's not bad," Steven admitted, "but you could do a lot better. I heard from Ava Wood's friends that she's seriously interested in you. Now _she's_ fine."

I furrowed my brow as the idea of Ava Wood and I together sunk into my brain. Ava? Our fathers were old Quidditch buddies, so we've known each other since we were born. When we were little, I really liked her, but she changed into a real diva. That wasn't for me at all. Besides, how could I think of anyone else when my mind was still fixated on the mystery girl?

"No, mate, Ava's not my type. She's too … high maintenance."

We simultaneously turned our heads towards the topic of our discussion, who was painting her nails, fixing her makeup, and was what looked like to us yelling at something at the same time.

Steven commented, "Yeah, you're right. That girl is bad news. Way too much to handle." He opened his book again and began reading, while I continued to glance at my mystery girl every few seconds.

_I am going to find out who she is, _I swore to myself. _I need to find out-_

"Need to find out what?" Steven asked absentmindedly. Crap, did I say that out loud?

"Steve, I'm going to figure out who this girl is. I _will_ find out more about her."

"Well, James, it shouldn't be that hard," Steven muttered, "She _is _in our House."

I could have kissed him. He's so bloody brilliant!

I guessed he could sense what I was thinking, because he, with his nose still in his book, muttered, "You're welcome."

My mystery girl stood up with her friend, ready to leave, and, even though I hadn't planned on it, my legs pushed me up away from the table as fast as they could. But before I could follow her to wherever she was going, which was my impromptu plan, Steven grabbed my tie and pulled me back into my seat.

"Down, doggie!" Steven exclaimed, "What is up with you today?"

Still following the girl with my eyes, I replied, "I don't know. I feel different after seeing her, Steven. I feel like there's a force connecting us, and that force is pulling us together."

"I believe one would call that force _attraction_," Steven quipped back at me.

"I've never felt like this before, about anyone," I murmured softly.

Steven began to say something, but I wasn't listening; my thoughts closed me off to all outside noise. This girl was the girl for me. I could just tell by looking at her.

I felt something in my hands, and looking down, my mind finally traveled back to the subject I was pondering before I saw my mystery girl: that stupid love letter. How could I think about meeting someone new when my attention was completely on someone else?

All I could think about was the girl with the beautiful black hair and emerald green eyes.

* * *


	3. Disappointments

"Oh, Morgan, you look absolutely fabulous!" Ingrid exclaimed. I pivoted around to face the full-length mirror in the 5th year girls' dormitory.

What was she talking about? My boobs looked like two bananas; my calves made me look mannish. My limp hair was dull coal instead of black silk, and the furry caterpillars that rested above my eyes looked like they were eating my face -

"Stop that. Stop thinking those things," Ingrid retorted, "you look perfectly scrumptious, and Jake is either a homosexual or mentally retarded not to think the same thing."

"Ing!" I exclaimed while attempting to pull my green dress down farther over my legs. Give it to Ingrid to make me the shortest dress in the whole U.K. for me to wear. I wanted to look like a mature, sexy young adult, not a trashy streetwalker.

The more time that dragged on, the more anxious I began to feel. "Ingrid, I can't - I can't do this. I can't go through with this! I wouldn't know what to say; he's going to think I'm such a loser … I - can't breathe …"

As my mind replayed the horrible daydreams I had been having all day about James ridiculing me or his friends coming instead of him and torturing me, I began hyperventilating.

Ing, sensing what was happening even before I lost my breath, led me over to a chair and helped me sit down. "Put your head between your legs; take slow, deep breaths," Ingrid instructed, "You need to relax! Everything's going to be alright."

When my breathing returned to normal, I replied, "I've never been so nervous about anything in my life. It's very possible I will puke in the near future. How could I meet James like this?"

Ingrid took my arm gently and led me back over to the mirror. I looked away from my reflection, but a slap on my shoulder from Ingrid brought my eyes back. Ingrid said softly, "Look at you. You are a strong, confident woman. You aren't afraid to speak your mind, and I wish I were as good at Herbology as you were. Plus, you have the prettiest black hair I've ever seen, and you're eyes light up your whole face. Ava Wood could stop eating for a month and still wouldn't have your thighs."

Ingrid's last statement produced a fit of giggles from both of us until Ingrid shushed me. "I'm not done. My point is, Morgan, you are so ready for tonight. Don't let anything or anyone make you feel differently."

She was completely and utterly correct, as usual. I gave Ingrid a very big hug, and then asked, "What in the world would I do without you? Thank you so much!"

Ingrid pulled away from me and stated, "You'd probably spend your time wishing you were Ava's friend, just like everyone else."

Smiling, I gave myself one last look-over in the mirror. Lost was my horrible self-image and gained was a new outlook on myself. Everything that Ingrid had described about me I could finally see for myself.

I guess that Ingrid could tell that I could finally see what she had seen in me all along. Pulling me into another hug, she whispered, "Go get 'em, tiger."

I felt so ready to meet James that I almost skipped out of the room. Before I walked through the doorway, though, Ingrid gave me a last good luck by giving me a big slap on the bum.

My evening was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

The dormitory was the only place in the tower where I could actually hear myself think. Steven was having a 'Back to School' party downstairs, complete with music, firewhiskey, and food nicked from the kitchens. I, however, was in no partying mood; my mind was still fixated on the girl.

Sighing, I collapsed onto my four-poster bed and closed my eyes. The image of this mystery girl seemed to have been drawn onto the inside of my eyelids, because every time I closed my eyes I could see the image of her looking at me and blushing.

Suddenly, someone interrupted me by kicking the door open. "What the hell are you doing up here, man? There's a party going downstairs!" a voice said.

"I don't feel like going, Steve," I replied, sitting up on my bed, "I think I'm just going to stay up here."

Steven walked over and sat down on the edge of my bed. "James, are you mentally ill? There is an _amazing_ party going on, the type of parties talked about for weeks, and you're just going to stay up in your room? Come on!"

"I'm sorry, mate. I just -" I started saying, but Steve put his hand up to my mouth before I could finish.

"Please, _please_, don't tell me you're staying up here to dream about your woman. Please, James, tell me that isn't true," Steven pleaded to me. My eyes found the floor, and Steven slapped my arm.

"You really _are _thick, aren't you?" Steven exclaimed. "Don't you realize that your woman is probably downstairs at the party? She _is_ in our house after all!"

"Merlin, you're right! What was I thinking?" I jumped off the bed and made my way towards the door. However, before I could make it through, Steve grabbed the back of my cloak and pulled me in front of the mirror.

"Have you looked at yourself?" Steven asked. I turned my head towards my reflection and grimaced. I had forgotten that I had changed out of my school clothes and into the more comfortable choice of sweatpants; my hair had lost its gel that I had put into it this morning and was matted down on my head. I usually didn't give a damn about how I look, but this was a special situation. My dream girl was waiting for me.

Quickly, I changed into a tee-shirt and denim jeans and moved my hair around a little bit so it wasn't completely flat against my skull.

"Thanks, man," I said to Steve over my shoulder; I was already halfway out the door.

Laughter, music, and other noises greeted me as I walked downstairs. Normally, at one of these things I would have circled the room first, then find a place to stand. Tonight, though, was not like any other night. I had a mission tonight.

"Hey, man! What's up?" One of my friends said to me. I gave him a nod but started weeding through the crowds, looking for black hair or pale skin.

After making my way through the whole of the Common Room, I plopped into an armchair, exasperated. Where was she? I was pretty sure that every girl was down here at the party, yet I couldn't find the one I was looking for. Was she ignoring me, or meeting her boyfriend from another house?

Venomous, probably untrue thoughts whizzed into my head. I suddenly pictured her with another guy, someone better-looking and smarter than me, having a great time at the party. It was a horrible vision that no matter how hard I tried would not leave my head.

It was then that I saw a flash of black and green pass me quickly, along with a color that I could distinctively describe as rose red.

* * *

How could I have been so naïve in thinking that there wouldn't be a party going on tonight? Of course Steven Finnegan would be having his annual party! I thought that I could slip in through the Common Room unnoticed, and of course, on the night that I wanted no one to see me, every single person in Gryffindor was downstairs. That meant James was bound to be there, and the last thing I wanted was for him to see me before he was supposed to. How embarrassing would that be?

_Maybe I could just walk really fast, and no one would see me,_ I thought to myself and I walked down the stone steps, the music getting louder and louder with each step I took. As I stepped onto the last step and into the Common Room, I suddenly hit a wall of people and noise.

It was the kind of thing that I took great pains to avoid.

Quickly, I slid across the wall behind people, praying that no one would notice me in my new clothing. Thankfully, my sneaky technique seemed to be working, because I was able to make it halfway around the room without anyone noticing me.

I wouldn't stay so lucky. "Merlin, are you Morgana?" I heard someone slur at me.

Christ, I'd been caught. I had to get out of there fast.

With a sudden strength and courage I hadn't had earlier, I sprinted through the thick crowd. As I bobbed and weaved, I noticed the people all turned into one big blur. All except one.

Just before I reached the door, my face locked onto another's, the one face that wasn't supposed to see me. However, before James could get a good look at me, I scampered away to the door and out of the Common Room.

_Oh my God, what if he had saw me_? I asked myself as I quickly walked through the castle. However, I was almost sure that he had only seen a glimpse of me, and that wasn't so bad. Maybe that would even convince him to come see me!

Luckily, I didn't get stopped once going through the castle, even though I almost lost my footing and fell down the stairs. My fear and apprehension was just about gone from me once I reached the doors and slipped into the darkness. Lady Luck was definitely on my side that night.

Although it was very dark, I had no trouble finding my way to the spot where I was supposed to be meeting James; I had spent plenty of time walking there and back for the past 5 years I had been at Hogwarts.

My watch that I had around my wrist said ten fifty-five, so I quickly sat down on the ground in front of the tree, holding the rose in one hand and my heart in the other.

* * *

Ever have the feeling that you're supposed to be somewhere, an urge to do something, but you aren't sure what that something is? I felt exactly like that as I sat in the armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Why was there this odd feeling in the back of my head? What was causing me to feel so crappy? I tried walking around the room to job my memory, but all that did was give me a headache from the pounding music and all of the people trying to scream over it. I made a mental note to punch Steven for throwing such a loud party.

The night was turning out to be a dud; first, I couldn't find my mystery girl, then this horrible feeling plagued me. I had such high hopes for this night, and it was all going down the drain.

I decided to head upstairs for the night, so trudged up the stairs and turned towards the 5th year dormitory door. However, before I went inside, I looked at all of the people downstairs, still hoping that I might find her. After a few seconds of looking with no results, I went into my room and collapsed onto my bed, suddenly exhausted.

* * *

_Why are my eyes closed? Why does it feel warm out? Am I laying on the ground?_

The world around me slowly came to life, and I began gaining a feeling of my surroundings. I first opened my eyes and was hit by a blinding white light that couldn't be anything but sunrise.

_Did I really sleep through the night?_

Looking around, I realized that it had to have been early in the morning; the lake was different colors of red and orange from the sun, and the grass was still wet from dew. There was not a soul besides me outside, and the quietness was almost tangible.

It then hit me that James never came.

A huge weight dropped on my chest, and my breath left my body. I cannot believe I made such a fool of myself. I put my heart and soul out there, and he crushed them both. Was this heartbreak I was feeling, or was it just my insides melting in my body?

That was definitely heartbreak. My heart was splitting in two because of James Potter. James Potter broke my heart.

Suddenly, my whole body was filled with rage. How dare he stand me up? What kind of jerk would do that? Was I that repulsive to him that he wouldn't even give me a chance?

My feelings for James went from total adoration to complete hatred in mere seconds. That asshole had the nerve to stand me up, and that wasn't going to fly with me.

I wouldn't spend any more time or energy on that piece of scum. No longer would I fantasize about being with him. That would never happen in a million years.

I was completely and utterly done with him.

Pushing myself up, I was about to storm away before I saw the rose sitting on the ground at my feet. I picked it up, crushed the petals, and threw it on the ground. The petals scattered over the grass and danced with the wind, taking with it any feelings for James I ever had.


	4. Confrontation

I knew that it was early when I woke up; the warm rays of dawn were hitting my right side of my body. Opening my eyes, I surveyed my surroundings. My body was curled up in a large armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room, and there were several people asleep around me. Did we all really pass out in the Common Room? I had to remember to congratulate Steven on a superb party when he woke up.

I sat up and stretched, trying to shake off the just-woke-up feeling. I still wasn't thinking clearly, so I walked around the room a little bit to get my brain working again. Why had I fallen asleep on the armchair in the first place? What was I looking for last night that I couldn't remember now?

As I walked around, my recollection of last night began coming back to me. I remember someone playing music, even though radios don't work at Hogwarts. The whole Common Room danced for hours, and any thoughts that I had of the mystery girl were gone.

Eureka! That was what I was forgetting. I never _did_ see her last night, even though I had Mia, Steven's sister, check the girls' dormitories for me. She didn't know who I was talking about, which made finding this girl even harder.

Well, she had to be here somewhere, right? It's not as if she went and slept in another Common Room; students weren't allowed to do that. Eventually, she'd have to come down to breakfast! As long as I stayed in the Common Room, I'd be able to catch her on her way down.

I didn't feel like waiting by myself, so I made my way over to Steven, who was fast asleep on the floor in the corner. As a warning, I poked him softly in the side with my foot. Letting out a big snore, he turned over and ignored me.

Leaning down, I licked my finger and stuck it far into his exposed ear. Like magic, Steven jumped up and yelled, "Oh, come on! I thought we stopped doing that to wake each other up!"

I grinned and replied, "Why would I stop when it never fails to get you up and moving?" Steven punched my arm and sat down in an armchair by the window; I followed him and pulled a chair over next to him. "Why _are_ you up this early anyway? And why did you wake me up?" Steven asked.

"I couldn't sleep; I was too anxious," I explained, "and I thought that you could help calm my nerves."

Steve had a puzzled look on his face as he inquired, "What's making you so nervous? Is it - oh, I see! You found your mystery girl last night! Congratulations mate!"

I sighed. "Not exactly; she didn't show up last night. _But_ I realized that she has to come down for breakfast eventually, so I'm going to wait to catch her when she leaves the dormitories."

"That's a brilliant plan, James. That's something I would do," Steven boasted. Stretching, he swung his legs over the arm of an armchair. "Would you like to know the total count of the evening?"

Steven and I had a sort of a game that we partake in at every party. We try to see how many girls we can snog during the night, and whoever wins gets bragging rights until the next party. I, however, didn't try to win last night; I was too transfixed on my mystery girl.

"How many did you trap?" I joked. Steven's big grin told me that he had had a _very_ good night.

Steven said nothing but held up both hands, a sly look on his face.

"Ten! You snogged ten girls last night?" Even for Steven, that was a new high.

"Yep. You should have seen me, man; I was on a role! It was like I was your-" Steven stopped before he finished his statement. He knew that my father's popularity was a sore spot for me, and I really didn't like talking about it.

"Well, anyway, I'm jealous. Maybe I would have been able to snog _one_ person last night if she had been there …" I trailed off, looking outside into the sky. The sun had risen about an hour ago, but the sky was still a brilliant orange color.

Where was she? What was she thinking about? I couldn't wait to see her and talk to her -

"James, snap out of it!" Steven yelled, snapping his fingers in my face. I seemed to be losing myself in my thoughts more and more lately.

I said, "I'm sorry, I'm just anxious. I can't wait to see her, Steven."

"I know, mate. I've never felt like that about anyone, so I can't exactly say I know how you feel, but I can imagine."

I was about to respond when we both noticed a girl standing in the entrance of the Common Room, a girl with black hair wearing a green dress.

* * *

I was stuck; I couldn't move my legs. I was standing in the doorway, my eyes locked on James. How could I have been so stupid? Why did I assume that no one would be awake in the Common Room? I was so stupid!

I also, unfortunately, had nowhere to go. If I ran out of the Common Room, there would be no way I could show my face in this school again. However, if I went upstairs I would have to pass right by him, and that would be equally as mortifying.

And why was he looking at me like that? Did he know that he had just broken my heart? Was he aware of how humiliated I was at that moment?

Apparently, he had no clue, because after ten seconds of staring at each other he broke the silence. "Hi. Do I know you?" James asked.

Stunned, I opened my mouth, but nothing came out but a gasp of air. Did he honestly _not_ know who I was?

I couldn't make noise. There was nothing coming out of my throat except a tingly feeling, which usually meant that I was going to vomit. I had to get away from him, and fast; I could feel my cheeks reddening.

James, still sitting, smiled a bit and replied, "I guess I don't. I'm James, and this is Steven. Are you a 4th year?"

This was torture, pure torture! I knew that he knew what he had just done to me, yet here he was introducing himself, trying to get chummy with me.

How dare he?

Anger bubbled up inside me, and I could feel my voice coming back to me. With all of the strength I could muster, I walked over to James in the most seductive way I could, leaned in close to his body, and slapped him hard on the face.

"You're a slimy git, James Potter!" I spat out at him.

It was as if something had taken over my body; there was no way I would actually say something like that on my own free will. I had no idea where this unexpected strength and courage was coming from, but it gave me a new feeling of power.

With this new power of mine, I marched towards the stairs, then stopped and said, "I hope you had fun at your party last night."

I sauntered up the stairs feeling more confident than I ever had, and all it took to gain it was a little heartache.

* * *

Steven and I were silent for a few seconds, both of us stunned at what had just happened. Words were not something I was capable of making at the moment.

And then, Steven began to laugh. He was laughing so hard that he was waking up the partiers on the floor. Needing a private place to talk, I grabbed his arm and pulled him up the stairs and into the 6th Year Dormitory.

As I closed the door behind us, Steven collapsed on his bed, exploding in even more laughter.

"What in the bloody hell do you think is so funny?" I asked him, even though I already knew the answer.

Through his laughter, Steven replied, "She just turned you down flat! I've never seen anything like it!"

Sitting down on the edge of his bed, I sighed, "What was that all about? I don't think I've ever even talked to her before."

"It seemed like she really hated your guts," Steven said, his laughter gone. He always had a logical way of dealing with situations like this, but he wasn't good with the romance side of things.

"I don't think I've done anything to her … well, maybe I did something in my 2nd or 3rd year, I can't remember. It would've had to have been bad for her to slap me like that."

Steven thought for a few seconds, and then said, "Have you ever done anything to her friends? Maybe she's just really loyal."

"You know what? I honestly don't know. It's possible, but who would hold a grudge for that long?"

Leaning up on the backs of his elbows, Steven replied, "That's true. I don't know, James; it seems like this girl just doesn't fancy you." He ended that statement with a semblance of a grin.

"I'm glad you find this so funny, Steven," I retorted. I was actually pretty annoyed that this girl loathed me so much. As far as I knew, I hadn't ever done anything to offend her.

No, there had to have been some other reason why this person that had captivated me so much was utterly repulsed with me. I just didn't understand it; I've never experienced this before …

"James, hello? Anyone home?" Steven waved his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, Steven," I murmured before saying, "I just can't wrap my mind around this."

"I think you should let this one go, mate; it doesn't seem like she's worth it," Steven shrugged.

Well, that was the _last_ thing I wanted to do, judging from the horrible feeling in my stomach that came about immediately after I considered Steven's suggestion. There was no way I was going to be able to let this girl go.

"I don't think that's an option; I almost feel like I need to be with her," I replied.

Steven took a few seconds to think that over, then stated, "Well, I don't know how to help you. Sounds like you need to do some thinking. I'm going to go downstairs and chat with some girls before they start remembering too much of last night." He jumped off of my bed and strutted towards the door.

Steven's advice didn't help me at all, and I flopped down onto my bed, sighing in anguish. This just didn't make sense at all; I had absolutely no idea why this beautiful, wonderful girl was so keen to avoid me.

A thought suddenly popped into my head. This was going to be challenge. True, this girl _did_ seem to hate my guts. I'd just have to work a little bit harder than usual, charm her more than I would other girls. I'd do anything to get this girl. No one had ever made me feel the way she made me feel.

* * *

_Sorry guys! I just realized now that I haven't had this chapter up for a few hours. To everyone that is new to the story, i'm sorry if you are confused!_


	5. A Failed Attempt

Thick blinding tears fell fast from my face as I ran up the winding stairs that lead to my dormitory. I stopped on my floor and threw the door open, taking all of my rage and misery out onto anything I could find. The door slammed shut behind me and I ran onto my bed sobbing.

It seemed that the other girls in the dormitory had had a great time last night, because the ones who made it to their beds were sleeping with their fancy clothes on in a disheveled manner. However, one girl sat up on her bed and looked over at me.

"Morgan?" Ingrid asked quietly. I didn't respond but continued crying and after a few moments I heard her get up off her bed and sit on the edge of mine.

"He … didn't show up, Ing … I waited the, the whole night and …" I couldn't bear to say it and buried my head in my pillow as the tears came harder.

It must have been almost ten o'clock, and certainly the girls would have been waking up soon, but I didn't care. James Potter had broken my heart and I wouldn't be satisfied until I cried out all of my feelings for him.

Ingrid sighed, and then asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

I took a moment to compose myself then sat up facing Ingrid. "Well, when I went downstairs I was surprised to see the party. I was afraid that James would see me too early and ruin the surprise, so I tried the best I could to run away from the party without James seeing me. I think he _did_ see me for a second, though, but I'm not sure. Then I snuck out of the castle to the tree where we study and waited for him. The next thing I know, its morning and I wake up on the ground. He didn't show."

"Oh Morgan," Ingrid said as I saw pity and something else that I couldn't recognize on her face.

I took a breath and continued, "Then I walked into the Common Room this morning and … James was there."

Ingrid took a sharp intake of breath and opened her mouth like she wanted to tell me something but stopped to let me finish.

"I talked to him. I slapped his face and told him he was a slimy git. You know what the weirdest thing was, Ing? He seemed like he wanted to talk to me, like he didn't know he had just broken my heart. What is wrong with him, Ing? What did I do wrong?" I pleaded to her, tears coming back to my face.

Ingrid looked away, and I finally recognized the look that was on her face. She knew something that I did not, and it looked like it was something she didn't want me to know.

"What's up, Ing?" I asked her curiously. She seemed to know what I meant, because her face reddened and she looked in the other direction towards her bed. My best friend had never been at a loss for words, so I pestered further. "Ingrid, tell me what's wrong!" I exclaimed.

Ingrid turned towards me and admitted, "Well, okay. You aren't going to like this, but you deserve to know. I know where James was last night; I know why he didn't go down to meet you. While you were waiting, he was - well, he was with someone else."

I momentarily lost my breath, and the room suddenly turned cold. "Who was he with?" I barely uttered, trying to control my emotions.

Ingrid's look of guilt was the most pronounced it had been, and it took her what seemed like ages to utter, "Ava. He spent the night snogging Ava."

"What?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. This news shocked me more than James abandoning me had shocked me. I couldn't believe it. Just like I was sure Ingrid was expecting, I cried harder than I ever thought I could.

Before burying my face in my pillow, I saw through blurry eyes Ingrid looking around the room, probably to see if other girls heard me crying. I _was_ making quite a bit of noise blubbering, and the other girls must have been awake by then. Strangely, I wasn't bothered by this fact at all and continued crying loudly. It didn't matter who saw me crying. Realistically, the girls probably thought that I had been rejected at the party by someone random, not by James.

After a few minutes, my crying calmed down a bit, and Ingrid asked, "Morgan? Are you all right?"

I sniffled and replied, "I don't know. I can't believe it. _Ava? _Are you positive?"

It had been my last hope and a thought that had been in my head since Ingrid told me the news. Maybe she misunderstood.

I knew, however, by the look on Ingrid's face that she was right. "You deserve someone so much better than that awful boy," Ingrid said, "because he is a horrible person, and Ava is a horrible person. They deserve each other."

I smiled for a second and sat up on my pillows. "I don't know whether to feel sad or angry or vengeful. I feel weird right now."

"I think you just about cried out all of your emotions," Ingrid joked. We both laughed for a bit, and then fell silent. Ingrid got up off her bed and moved to my trunk.

"I know what will make you feel better," I heard Ingrid say as she buried herself in my trunk. "You need to make James insanely jealous by looking better than you have ever looked. You need your best outfit with a gorgeous hairstyle. Then when he comes over to you to talk, you can tell him to piss off and come out the better person."

Ingrid always had the perfect solution to any problem. I don't know what I would do without her. I swung my legs over the bed and walked over to my best friend, giving her a big hug. Ingrid hugged me back, and then pulled a cute outfit up to me.

"This is perfect," Ingrid exclaimed. She was holding a cute skirt, a white button-up shirt that was just a tad too tight on me, and a pair of ballet flats. I quickly changed into the outfit while Ingrid ran over to her bed and pulled out a cosmetic spell book.

I sat down on a chair and Ingrid walked over to me, the open book in her left hand and her wand in the other. "Okay," Ingrid began, "this should be easy. All I have to do is this flick-" Ingrid mimicked the flick - "and say … _Saetatus Crispus_ and it should style your hair."

I was nervous. It seemed that Ingrid hadn't ever done this before, and I didn't want her to burn off all of my hair. She _did_ make me feel better when I was feeling horrible, though, and she deserved my confidence. I gave her thumbs up and she exclaimed, "_Saetatus Crispus! _"

I knew it worked before I heard Ingrid give a yelp of joy: my hair, which was hanging down by my face, was lifted and piled neatly on my head. I wanted to see it to be sure, though, so I grabbed my mirror and looked at myself. Ingrid did a great job; my hair was glossy, curled, and piled into an attractive up do. It looked like I had spent hours on my hair.

"Ingrid, you've outdone yourself!" I cried out. I couldn't believe how quickly my mood had changed from miserable to excited. Before long, James feel so horrible that he'd want to crawl into a bin and never come out.

Ingrid peeked around the door into the Great Hall, and after a few moments she looked at me and nodded. We had planned it out upstairs: I would walk past James, give him a "come-hither" look, sit close but not too close, and send him continuous flirty eyes while I ate my breakfast. If the plan worked, James wouldn't be able to resist coming over to talk. I would then give him the world's best insult (which I had yet to come up with) that would hurt both his pride and ego. Hopefully, by the end of the exchange he would be feeling as lousy as I did earlier.

I took a deep breath, pulled a piece of my hair away from my face, and sauntered around the corner, Ingrid close behind me.

Although I was looking straight ahead of me, I could still feel various pairs of eyes on me. I could also see James through the corner of my eye staring at me. The farther I walked, the closer James got. Finally, he was almost directly next to me when I turned my head and looked directly into James' eyes.

He looked a little surprised to see me, which I expected. Something else surprised me about how James looked: it seemed by the look on his face that something was churning in his mind, like he was coming up with some kind of plan to trap me. I thought he would still be scared because of the slap.

James' last look threw me off my game, and I quickly walked over to a seat that gave him a clear view of me.

Ingrid sat down next to me and asked, "Did you see his face?"

I smiled (James was still looking at me) and replied, "Yeah. It looked like he was up to something."

"I don't like that," Ing said, a frown on her face. "I didn't think he'd be planning something."

James was still staring, so I laughed coyly and picked up a piece of toast. While I was buttering the toast, Ingrid took a moment to look around at the people who were sitting around us. Like we had talked about, we didn't want anyone overhearing us before James came over. Thankfully, everyone else seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations.

Before replying to Ingrid I looked over at James. He was still staring at me unabashedly, but I was prepared for this. I stared deeply into his eyes seductively for a few moments, and then looked away and busied myself with my toast while Ingrid looked in James' direction. She nudged me, which meant that he had gotten up and was walking in this direction.

I took a deep breath, ate a bit of toast, and looked up.

He was already sitting down in front of me, looking at me and smiling. If I hadn't known he was coming over I would have jumped, but I was on my game. I looked down and uttered, "Hello James."

"I don't think I caught your name this morning," James said in his smooth voice.

Still looking down, I replied, "That's because I didn't give it."

Ingrid sniggered and began eating some bacon. The plan was for her to not interact but to react to my witty comments.

James didn't seem fazed, though, and continued like I hadn't said a word. "I'd like to know your name. I want to have a name to put with your pretty face."

I retorted, "I'd like for you to go away, but we can't all get what we want, can we?"

I thought I had him at that comment. He seemed to be thrown off, because he paused and looked down the table at someone. I looked in his direction and saw Ava Wood reading a magazine. My hatred bubbled.

James smiled again. "Look, I don't know what I did for you to hate me, but whatever I did, I probably deserved it. I am sincerely sorry."

In mid-chew Ingrid coughed and looked at me, obviously stunned. I was at a loss for words. "I - um -wh-" I stammered.

Grabbing my hand, James continued, "Please forgive me. Please tell me your name. I feel awful; I want to be able to apologize for what I did properly, and I can't do that unless I know your name."

I could feel myself breaking. The wall that I had built this morning was crumbling fast. I looked over at Ingrid, and I could tell that she was suffering just as I was.

Before I could respond, Ingrid blurted out, "Her name is Morgana Mary Chambers, but everyone calls her Morgan."

Betrayed, I flashed a dirty look at Ingrid. James smiled and said, "Morgan, I am extremely sorry for what I did."

My heart melted when he said my name. The sound of him saying my name was the best sound I had ever heard.

I couldn't believe that James actually knew what he did wrong. I thought he was clueless, but I was wrong. "You are?" I asked quietly.

James grinned and replied, "Of course I am. I don't exactly know what I did, but you seem so sweet and kind that I must have done something awful wrong for you to be so angry with me. I'm sorry."

So he _didn't_ know what was wrong. He was just trying to make me forgive him. I wretched my hand away from his and folded my arms, scowling. Shaking my head, I asked very angrily, "So you don't even know what you did wrong?"

James looked troubled by my change in mood and replied, "Well, no. I don't know. Was it something at the party? It might have been, I don't remember _anything_ that happened last night."

I became more angered and had to stop myself from slapping him across the face again. "I can't believe you! I shouldn't have ever believed anything you said!"

"Wait; just tell me what I did wrong! I want to know!" James pleaded with me. He seemed desperate, which gave me more momentum.

"No! You don't deserve to know. You need to figure it out for yourself. You left me hurt and confused and just when I thought I couldn't feel worse you did the one thing that completely destroyed me. I don't want to see you or even think about you anymore, you horrible-"

"Hi, James," a voice called from behind me. Fearing the worst, I turned around and saw the one person that was causing all of my problems.

"Ava, hi," James muttered, peering at her for one moment then looking back at me. She smiled and walked back to her seat. All she wanted to do was cause more trouble.

She did her job correctly. I practically shouted, "There you go, James! There's your problem!"

He still looked confused and was staring at the table looking like he was trying hard to remember. Half of the students in the Great Hall had left to do other things, but I had no intentions of leaving until James realized what he did wrong.

Ingrid, who had until now remained silent, leaned over to me and whispered, "I really don't think he knows what he did wrong."

"I know," I whispered back, "he's clueless."

Then, as if a light had gone off in his head, James gasped and looked back up at me. He said, "Wow. I remember now. I can't believe I did that."

"Well thankfully you know now," I replied coldly. Looking at Ingrid, I nodded and stood up from the table. "Please don't talk to me again James."

Ingrid and I walked away from the boy I now hated, the boy that just one day ago had owned my heart.

* * *

I couldn't move. I was stunned beyond belief. What had I done? I actually snogged Ava Wood?

The thought couldn't escape my mind. I felt like I had cheated on Morgan (what a beautiful name!) even though we weren't even dating. What was wrong with me?

I sat there for a few minutes staring at the empty space in front of me that used to be Morgan until a hand touched my shoulder.

Steven sat next to me and commented, "Well that didn't go according to plan."

"Why didn't you tell me that I snogged Ava last night?" I asked him.

He looked as shocked as I was when I found out, but instead of feeling shame he broke into a grin and exclaimed, "Way to go mate! That tops all of my ten!"

I looked at him in disbelief and said incredulously, "I'm not happy about this! She knows about it and won't speak to me!"

"Who does? Your mystery girl?" Steven asked. We were now completely alone in the room. One of the teachers came to shoo us off so we got up and left.

"Yes and her name is Morgana Mary Chambers, though everyone calls her Morgan," I repeated. I loved saying her name just like I loved her saying my name. The way she said it, even when she was mad -

"Well good job, at least you found out her name," Steven replied, bringing me away from my thoughts. We were now heading out the doors towards the grounds where we usually spent our weekends.

"Yeah, but now she hates me even more than she did before. I don't thinks she's ever going to go out with me," I admitted dejectedly. I felt so lousy that without thinking I sat down at the nearest tree I could find.

Steven plopped down next to me and pulled out a book from his pocket. Opening it, he said without looking up, "You have some serious problems. I think my girl expertise stops here."

We grew silent, Steven reading and me thinking about Morgan. I was surprised that she was so mad about Ava-

"Steven! She was upset!" I exclaimed.

Still reading, Steven said, "Yeah, James, I know."

I blurted out, "She was upset! That means she cares about me! Why else would she be upset about Ava and me snogging? If she had no feelings for me she wouldn't care!"

I felt like skipping. I actually had proof that she cared about me!

"Good job, James. I was waiting for you to figure that out," James replied coolly. I didn't even care that he had decided not to tell me that fact sooner. The sun was shining and I still had a chance with Morgan. Everything was great.

Smiling, I said, "I'm not going to give up on her, James. I'm going to leave her along until she calms down, then I'm going to work on her again."

"That's great, James. Now all you need to do is figure out whom the nut case is that sent you that letter."

My jubilant mood was rudely interrupted by Steven's comment. I hadn't thought of the letter since I discovered Morgan. "How do you know about the letter?" I asked him.

"I saw it on your dresser," Steven replied, laughing, "And I think it's hilarious! What kind of a nutter would say something like that?"

Frowning, I pondered, "I don't know. I don't know if I _want_ to know. Someone that crazy isn't anyone I want to know."

I pushed the girl who sent that letter out of my mind and replaced her with Morgan, the girl that had completely bewitched me.


	6. A Date to Remember

It had been a week since the James Debacle (as Ing was now calling it), and I was just beginning to recover. In the Great Hall when I told James I didn't want to talk to him anymore, I thought that maybe he took my words to heart, because after that incident he had yet to say a word to me. I thought that it would be completely embarrassing to see him in the Common Room knowing that he had broken my heart and made a cruel joke out of my feelings, but he ignored me like before. It was almost like I had never even sent the letter. Every now and then I got a feeling that he was looking at me, but whenever I glanced in that direction he seemed to be doing something else. I wasn't complaining; I would rather have him ignore me then hurt me like he did before.

No one looked at me differently or laughed when I left the room, so my fear of him telling everyone else about what happened didn't turn into reality. It was as if the whole thing had never happened.

Except I was different. My crush on James was, well, I would like to say gone, but part of me still loved him. I'd probably always love him. But I had no desire to date him now, seeing as he was a slimy git with a bad sense of humor. I felt different and, surprisingly, more confident. Going through that humiliation and coming out of it relatively unharmed showed me a side of myself that I hadn't ever seen before. And I liked it.

Even Ingrid noticed something different about me. We were sitting in the Great Hall, the location of my infamous incident that occurred just seven short days ago, when she proclaimed, "You seem different."

"I know," I replied, then added, "But I think it's a good thing. I can't really put my finger on what it is."

Ingrid took a bite of her eggs and said (with her mouth full), "Yeah, I know what you mean. Honestly, I thought you'd be devastated-"

"Hey!" I interjected.

"But you seem fine. In fact, you seem better. I'm impressed," Ingrid said, and then focused on eating the rest of her breakfast. It was a Hogsmeade visit today, so we were planning on eating quickly and heading over for some retail therapy.

After several minutes in the Great Hall (which was James-less that morning, though of course I didn't check), we both left and walked out into the cool fall morning ready to go to Hogsmeade. There were dozens of students walking the path to Hogsmeade that day, partly because it was the first visit of the year but also because it was too nice of a day to spend indoors doing homework.

Once we arrived in the village, we went to our favorite shop in Hogsmeade: the wonderful bookshop Tomes and Scrolls. Most people liked going to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes or the Three Broomsticks, but my best friend and I could spend hours perusing the long rows filled with books in the small shop.

As we walked into the shop, we said hello to Selene, the ancient and very sweet storeowner before walking into our favorite aisles to read. She likes to visit the Wizard History section, and I picked up an interesting book from the Herbology section. Sitting down against a shelf, I heard someone come in, which was odd since every other time I've been inside Tomes no one else has ever entered, but I shrugged it off and continued reading. For a while, I was able to read about Venomous Tentacula in peace until –

"Hi there."

I screamed and almost toppled the bookshelf on which I was leaning completely over when James squatted down next to me and surprised me.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" I screeched after smacking his arm with my book. It was a heavy book, too. I hope it hurt.

He had the gall to reply, "Well that's not a very nice way to greet me."

I scoffed and said, "Well, neither is sneaking up on someone. I thought I told you I didn't want to talk to you again. Leave me alone."

James sat down next to me and stated, "You don't get to say who I do and do not talk to. And Morgan, I would _very_ much like to talk to you."

I closed my book and looked at him, "That's wonderful that you would like to talk to me, but I asked you to leave me alone. Did you think after a week I would forget what you did?"

"Look, I'm not exactly sure why you're mad that I snogged Ava, since we aren't even dating-"

"Are you kidding me?" I interjected, "That isn't even all of it. I wouldn't even care about you snogging Ava if you hadn't done the other thing."

James looked puzzled, like he didn't know that he had stood me up. "What other thing? I thought you were mad about me snogging Ava," James asked.

"You know what you did," I replied and turned away from him, giving all of my attention to my book.

He pulled me so I was facing him and looked me directly in the eyes while he stated, "No, I don't. Please enlighten me."

I sighed and pleaded, "Please, James, don't do this to me. Don't make me say it. You know what you did, and it really hurt me. I just want you to leave me alone since you obviously made it into a cruel joke. After seeing that side of you, I realized that you aren't anyone I want to be around."

A small "yeah" from another aisle informed me that Ingrid had been listening the whole time and agreed with me. James didn't seem to notice; in fact, he looked as confused as ever.

Was he faking, or –

Oh Merlin's pants. He didn't know it was me. He had no idea that I wrote him that letter, so he didn't know he stood me up to snog someone eles. Merlin's beard.

I heard a large gasp coming from the other aisle; Ingrid realized what had happened the same time I did.

I could feel my cheeks redden as I took a deep breath and said, "James, I'd like to talk to you as well. Do you think it could be possible for you to wait outside for a second? I …. Need to do something really quick."

James flashed a gorgeous smile and replied, "Of course. I'll be right outside."

As he left, I walked into the other aisle. Once I heard the door slam I ran to Ingrid and shrieked, "What do I do?"

Ingrid said breathlessly, "Morgan, this is so bloody weird."

I was breathing very heavily to the point of almost hyperventilating, which often happens when I get nervous. I took some deep breaths before replying, "I know. I thought he knew it was me! I thought he knew I sent the letter …"

Ing looked over my shoulder to make sure he was still standing there and stated, "He isn't talking to you because of a joke. He likes you, Morgan."

I started to breath even heavier and barely manage to say in between breaths, "Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah," Morgan added, walking towards the door. I followed her as she continued, "So you shouldn't tell him it was you who sent the letter. You should go to the three broomsticks with him. I won't be mad, I swear."

Well _that_ finally got me thinking clearly. "Are you crazy?" I uttered, "He still read that letter and stood up _someone_, and that someone was me! How can I go on a date with him and not tell him that I've been in love with him for two years?"

Ingrid turned to face me and replied, "Come on, Morgan. If you got a letter like that, would you take it seriously?"

"Well, I guess not," I answered truthfully, and then added, "But I still don't know how he would react to finding out I wrote it."

Putting a book that she wanted to check out on the table for Selene to ring up, Ing said, "If you really want to date him, then you're going to have to tell him eventually that you've had a crush on him for a century. If he doesn't like it, then he isn't worth your time."

I smiled and replied, "Ing, you always know what to say. You know what? I'm going to do it. I'm going to go on a date with him."

We both took a moment to take in this fact and screamed for about two seconds before composing ourselves again. Looking at my best friend, I took a deep breath and stated, "This could change my life. Are you sure you're going to be alright by yourself here?"

"Morgan, I'll be fine! I need to do some shopping anyways," Morgan said. She opened the door and half-yelled, "No, Morgan, I really need to go. I need some alone time right now."

James turned around and looked at me, completely ignoring Morgan. She pinched my bum and walked away, leaving me alone with the love of my life.

"You ready?" James said with a smile on his face.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

* * *

I was the luckiest man in the whole world. By sheer chance I saw Morgan and Ingrid walk into the bookshop that I've never been in before. I knew that this would be a great opportunity to talk to her alone, so I went in and talked to her.

Who knew that she would agree to go on a date with me!

And man, did she look wonderful. She had on this wonderful deep-purple cloak and her hair was all curly and dark and lovely. And was it just me, or did she have some kind of glow about her?  
"Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks?" I asked.

She smiled this wonderful smile and nodded; though she hadn't said a word to me yet, I didn't care. She was with me.

We walked towards the Three Broomsticks in a comfortable silence. The air was clear and crisp; it was eleven in the morning, and I was going on a date with a beautiful girl.

"How did you find me?" Morgan asked unexpectedly.

I smiled, realizing that she might find this story slightly creepy, and then replied, "Well, I actually saw you walk into that bookshop, and I wanted to talk to you. So I walked in and talked to you, and he we are."

Morgan looked at me, smiled, and said incredulously, "You've never been inside Tomes and Scrolls? It's my favorite store!"  
We finally reached the Three Broomsticks, so I opened the door for her and we found a booth in a secluded corner. While she was taking off her cloak, I commented, "I don't think I've ever been inside that store before today."

She looked genuinely shocked (and very cute while doing so) and replied, "Seriously? I love that store! There's so much to do! Do you ever read?"  
"Yes, I read! I just, you know, don't read that much for fun," I admitted.

The barmaid came over and we ordered two Butterbeers. After she left, Morgan asked, "Well what's your favorite class?"  
I thought about it. "Well, I'm not much for school, but I _do_ like Quidditch."

"Well, they have a whole section on Quidditch book. Might help you out on your Chasing skills."

"Oh, so you think I need help with my Quidditch, huh?" I quipped at her.

She blushed and quickly replied, "No, no! I think you're brilliant!" After speaking she shut her mouth and blushed even more.

I took a moment to look at her while she seemed to be embarrassed about something she said. I haven't spent that much time with her, and when we had talked in the past, she was a little more than upset, but now she seemed like she needed to say something to me, like she was holding something back from me.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a light tone. I didn't want her to think I suspected anything. She blushed a little bit more and shook her head.

"This is my first date," She admitted.

"Can I let you in on a secret?" I asked. She nodded and leaned closer to me.

"You're doing great, so relax," I joked. She smiled and was about to say something but was interrupted by the barmaid who brought us our drinks.

We took sips of our butterbeers and sat in silence for a few minutes. I suddenly felt like I had nothing to say! I was trying to think of something to say, when that ridiculous letter that I got came to my mind.

"So I have a funny story for you," I said, sipping my butterbeer. Instead of looking interested, like I thought she would, she just looked more nervous, like something was wrong.

Even though she looked worried about something, she simply said "okay" then took a sip of her butterbeer.

"So the other day, I was sitting in the Great Hall during breakfast, and this weird letter came for me. It was this girl who said she's had a crush on me for like two years or something and wanted to meet me. How weird?"  
Morgan looked pale and a little woozy. "Are you sick?" I asked, putting my hand on hers.

Morgan retracted her hand and crossed her arms, asking, "So this girl that sent the letter, did you go to meet her? Even to say you weren't interested?"  
"No, of course not. Why would I do that? I didn't even know her!" I replied, sitting back. I didn't like this edge in her voice; it sounded like she could escalate to the anger that she had used at me before.

"You didn't even think about this poor girl's feelings? How she must have felt when you stood her up?" Morgan half-shouted at me. She seemed to be breathing heavily and was giving me the worst look.

That took me aback. I thought she would find that story amusing, not take offense over it. The bar seemed to not notice that we were almost shouting at each other, but if we got any louder they would. "Look, I kind of completely forgot about her when I noticed you? What would you do? I had you on my mind, and no one else."

Morgan scoffed and stood up, grabbing her cloak and throwing some money on the table. "I don't think I can date someone who's such a big git. You know, I should have listened to my first instincts which told me to stay away from you. But then, you came into the bookstore and I thought that maybe you _were_ kind, albeit a little stupid. I gave you a chance. Then you come here and tell me _this_, and I'm finally seeing how mean and insensitive you are. I just don't want to be around someone like that. This time, don't talk to me, even if you want to. I don't want to do this again."  
A tear streaked down her face as she said, in a calm and formal way, "Goodbye James."

Then she walked out of the bar, leaving me alone and completely stunned.

* * *

_What the hell was I thinking? I must have been an idiot to agree to go out with him. Why did Ingrid-_

_No, this isn't anyone's fault but my own. _

I made it to the door before I completely burst into tears. Opening the door, I threw my cloak on and ran into the street, taking a right towards the school. I didn't feel like running; I didn't feel anything except pain.

That was his last chance. He was dead to me.

Still crying, I walked slowly down the crowded street. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be occupied with their own things, because no one stopped me and asked me why I was crying. While walking, I looked to my left and saw Ava Wood talking to some 6th year in Ravenclaw. She really disgusted me with how much attention she got.

I almost got to the edge of the village before someone pulled on my arm, making me face them.

All I was thinking was that it better be Ingrid.

It wasn't. It was James.

Great.

"What do you want?" I exclaimed a bit louder than I anticipated.

James was still holding onto my arm when he said, "I'm not letting you run away again. I want to know why you keep on getting upset with me for different reasons. You're leaving me completely clueless, and I want to know why." He paused, and then added, "I've never been this in-the-dark with anything before."

Oh no, I was going to have to spell this out for him. Goodbye, normal life. Hello freakdom. "James, do you really want to know why I'm upset? Because it'll change your opinion of me."

"Nothing could do that!"

"Okay then," I replied, releasing myself from his hold so I could make a quick getaway. "The reason that it seems like I've been acting strange is because I wrote the letter. I have loved you for two years, and it was _me_ who you stood up. There, you happy? So now you know why I don't want to talk to you anymore."

He looked stunned and speechless.

"Please, don't tell anyone about this. I mean it, _anyone_. You can at least do that for me. Goodbye, James."

I turned around and left him for what seemed like the millionth time. He didn't chase me up to the castle like I thought he would. He left me alone.

I spent the rest of the day crying over what could have been.

* * *

_Let me know what you all think! I'd really like to hear your opinions of the chapter._


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